


Heritage of Old

by PaddyChan



Category: Naruto
Genre: Basically a fanfic to a fanfic, Closely related to Palingenesis, Hashirama is a dork no matter what lifetime, Kurama knows things, No regrets (so many regrets), what if
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-07-29 06:08:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16258268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaddyChan/pseuds/PaddyChan
Summary: As Kurama is captured by the Rinnegan and forced to fight on behalf of others, he recognises the chakra of someone whom he once deemed his brother.





	Heritage of Old

**Author's Note:**

> Since my brain wouldn't shut up about it when I read chapter 19 of Palingenesis, here is a little OneShot about a very specific interpretation of Kurama's relationship towards the Sage's sons and thus, their reincarnations.  
> I didn't even ask osprey_in_the_laurels about it... However, I giftet his story to her in an attempt to make up for that (still sorry).

Madara was embraced by chaos the moment he entered the battlefield. Chakra signatures flickered everywhere, the fight already raging for some time before he had arrived. Roars of summoned animals cut the air along with the screams of the Kyuubi, captured by golden chains hailing from Mito’s back. 

Madara grit his teeth.

The Chinoike was going to pay. For stealing his eyes, for daring to go against Hashirama, for -damn it, for everything. There wasn’t a single thing he didn’t think the man had to pay for -well, aside from his uncalled for feeling towards his best friend. Forcing himself to focus, he cast out his senses to get a better picture of the battlefield.

One of the creatures the Chinoike had summoned using his Rinnegan forced its way towards the Kyuubi struggling against Mito’s chains. He flung himself upwards, summoning his chakra mid-air and let his Susano’o crash right in front of the Ninetails, using it to crush all three heads to the ground at once, before kicking it further away from the giant fox it was trying to free. Mito’s chains tightened around it and its scream shook the valley. “Brother!” Another scream as the Ninetails threw itself against the chains. _”Indra!”_

Madara stumbled his Susano’o into a halt. What…?

The Kyuubi tried to force its way towards him, its attempts sloppy and uncoordinated, implying it was still being controlled by the Chinoike’s Rinnegan. If he still had his eyes (he couldn’t _wait_ to murder that thief), they would have widened once he made the connection.

Did the Sage whose sons Indra and Ashura founded the Senju and the Uchiha create- “Kyuubi!” The fox screamed desperately at the sound of Madara’s voice. “That man has stolen my eyes! I need you to stop fighting so I can get them back, can you hear me?”

The giant fox’s legs struggled, whether it was in a battle to move or _not_ to move, Madara couldn’t say. 

The Chinoike’s scream tore Madara from his strange conversation, as his bird swooped down to attack him; his Susano’o having dissipated due to his shocked state. Cursing at himself he re-created the protective chakra-shell around him, as the three-headed dog managed to break two of the chains holding the Ninetail’s arms. 

“Uchiha Madara! Die!” The Chinoike spat and Madara grit his teeth, awaiting the collision since his Susano’o wasn’t yet- _“Indra!”_ The Kyuubi lunged forwards, its newly achieved freedom allowing it to break some more chains as it crushed the bird into the ground, its rider barely attempting to escape.

Thoughts racing, Madara made way to the fox’s head. He had to separate its eyes from the Chinoike’s, maybe that way the Rinnegan’s control would fade. His Susano’o grabbed the Ninetail’s head, wriggling it to the ground. The fox screamed in agony. “Indra! Help me, Brother!”

“I am”, Madara promised, folding his Susano’o’s hands over the Kyuubi’s face, covering its eyes. The fox stopped struggling, seemingly forcing its limbs into stillness. The Chinoike stormed right at him, yelling obscenities, however he was stopped by Hashirama as his kick connected with enough force to send the man crashing all the way through the valley, right into the miniature forest he already had created. “Ashura…” This time, the Ninetail’s voice was calmer, if still pained. “Is that you, Ashura?” 

On Hashirama’s signal, three of the other Uchiha set the forest the Senju had created aflame.

As the Chinoike crawled out from the flames minutes later, Tobirama forced the black entity on him to separate, leaving the man unable to use the charka-draining eyes he had implanted himself. Mito’s chains wrapped around him, forcing him to still, even though it was obvious he was unable to fight anymore. She dragged him close, followed by Tobirama and Toka, who carefully eyed the still demon on the ground. They had heard his screams and while Tobirama was reluctant to get any closer to him, his sharp mind connected the Ninetail’s words immediately to the story about the Sage and his sons Madara had confessed just days ago. The story about their chakra immigrating from host to host, generation after generation, now lingering in his idiot of a brother and Madara. There was no way- the Kyuubi’s voice rung again. “Indra… You are not Indra, aren’t you?”

“I am not”, Madara agreed and the fox below him was silent for a long moment. “Tell that woman to release her chains”, it finally demanded.

He nodded towards Mito, who -reluctantly- pulled back the golden chains, while Madara released his Susano’o. 

“Madara!” Hashirama stepped forward, hands stretched out to heal the other man’s shoulder, whose injury the Uchiha had ignored so far but was now starting to throb. “Are you all right? What happened? I-” The Kyuubi’s eyes finally snapped open, slit pupils tightening further as it watched as Madara attempted to shake Hashirama off, who, in return, just pressed harder to heal his shoulder.

“I should have known.” The fox bared its teeth. “Ashura and Indra are long gone… one brother killing the other in nothing but a senseless battle for power. You are but copies, a cruel twist of fate.”

Hashirama’s eyes widened upon the Ninetail’s words. Kyuubi knew what had happened all these centuries ago…?

The fox attempted to stand, nearly crumbling down again as its heavily wounded leg gave out.

“Ah!” Hashirama rushed forward. “Lay down, lay down, I’ll heal you!”

“I don’t need your help, flimsy human!”, the fox bellowed, making Hashirama smile sheepishly. “I know”, he stated, starting to cover the heavily bleeding wound in green chakra. _Ashura…_

“Maybe you should just make a clone, you moron, there’s a lot of other summons, too”, Madara advised, arms crossed in front of his chest. _Indra…_ The fox still remembered the day the Sage’s sons had walked up to the tailed beasts and offered- “Brother.” The word was out before Kurama fully realised it. “Do you wish me to raise that thief’s clan to the ground? I will rain down fire and tear into pieces whatever remains; I will annihilate his very existence for daring to take your eyes.” 

The silence around them got even heavier until Madara spoke up. “Kyuubi-” Kurama chose not to interrupt him, even though he would very much prefer if his brother called him by his name. “We are Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama. None of us are who you refer to.”

“Is that so?” The fox’s red eyes lowered to the Uchiha. “Ashura, as well as Indra were born before Hagoromo created us tailed beasts… I recognise the chakra of the Sage’s sons within you; it is painfully obvious. We tailed beasts are chakra constructs he created, even though we may take the form of flesh and bone if we choose. Tell me… Uchiha… Madara… if sharing chakra does not make us brothers -as we were so very long ago- then what does?”

“I wouldn’t mind being brothers”, Hashirama piped in, making Madara twitch quite similar to Tobirama next to them.

“That’s because you’re a moron! You can’t just go around and-” “But why?”, the Senju whined, pouting in a way that was everything but fitting for the so-called God of Shinobi. “And besides, if what Kyuubi says is true -it is, isn’t it?- we are kind of related.”

Next to him, Tobirama pinched the bridge of his nose. “Anija, would you at least try to handle this situation appropriate?” This time it was Hashirama whom Kurama rested his eyes on. “Who is this, that dares to call you his brother?”, the fox growled, forcing Hashirama to laugh sheepishly as he stepped back, the wound being dealt with. “Tobirama, my younger brother”, he explained, making Kurama consider for a moment. “He is a brother of yours, yet none of mine”, the Ninetails finally deemed, making a small, sad cloud rain above the Hokage’s head. 

“Lead by emotions, as always, Ashura.” Kurama stood, his giant form looming above the shinobi of Konoha. “Tell me, and be honest: If one day you are to decide between who calls himself Madara and those you lead… whom would you choose?” The question was way too exact to be hypothetic and Hashirama swallowed as he remembered what Madara told him… the story about Ashura who killed his brother. However; he felt like there was more that was to it. Hashirama straightened his back, eyes hardening. 

“I would not choose at all.” 

Some might call the Hokage’s answer inappropriate, however, it was final. A moment passed in silence, before Kurama nodded. “You once answered differently”, he stated, making Hashirama shudder for some reason. “I will see how you choose this time.”

“You could come along and watch me from the village!” The Hokage grinned brightly at the Ninetails, giving the fox a thumps-up. “Since we’re brothers and all.”

Madara groaned, snatching the Senju’s collar. “Stop talking nonsense and make yourself useful, you baboon!” “But-” “No.” “Don’t you think’s it’s awesome-” “No.” “You’re cruel.” “Get on with it, Hashirama.”

Kurama’s teeth bared in a grin that made the shinobi around him step back. It seemed, some things never changed, no matter the lifetime.


End file.
